Two friends have walked the Ribble Way to raise funds for the North West Air Ambulance.

Craig Dudding, of Penwortham, and Andrew Foulkes, of Blackrod, trekked 73 miles over two days, in aid of the air ambulance charity.
Andrew, 34, said: “We started in Gearstones in Yorkshire, and ended on day two in Longton.
“The aim was to raise £500 for the North West Air Ambulance, we chose these as we do a lot of walking, and we’ve often seen them flying in, the work they do is incredible.
“We were well prepared having driven some of the route previously, searched for the source, and planned the stops. We had maps on our phone and physical maps, as well as the way markers to follow.

“Day one didn’t get off to the best start, the fields were very wet, and we soon had soggy socks, I fell flat on my back at one point, in a particularly rough field, then came a moment that at the time we didn’t think too much about, but would end up altering the rest of the journey.
“Craig, sadly went over on his ankle. After a short break, it seemed fine and on we went. But our pace had been taking a hit, the wet, muddy fields were tough going, and we were getting behind our target.
“Day two was also hard work. Craig, who is a coach for the Penwortham Town Girls under 10 football team, was struggling on his ankle, and the terrain was no better than day one. Craig had to bow out.
“I was faced with the final 23 miles by myself. With aches and pains for most of the trek from here, I made pretty good time. Craig managed to find a last bit of strength to walk with me for the final five miles, which was a huge boost.
“Once I stopped, I realised just how sore and drained I was, but it will be well worth it if we meet our target for NW Air Ambulance.